Method of stuffing fruit and product



June 20, 1944.

V. R. SMITH METHOD OF STUFFING FRUIT AND PRODUCT Filed March 18, 1941 a w f O l/ al Wwwgf G f f5 /MII |\|.A

INVENTQR Verna/7 E. .5m/fh BY a TTORNEYS Patented June 20, 1944 METHOD OF STUFFINGJFRUITAND PRODUCT Vernon 'R.Smith,I Lindsay, Calif. Application March'lS, 1941, SeralLNo. 383,942

15 Claims.

This invention relatesto themethod of stuing fruit and the like, and tothe stuffed product, and has for objects, a simple and more `eiiicient method of stuffing fruit than heretofore and which fruit, after stuffing, `is substantially unaffected by normal variations in temperature, and vkeeps well, and is more pleasing in appearance and taste than other stuied fruit o'f which I am aware. Another object is an improved method of stuiiing olives with pimientdjor another ingredient, or combination of ingredients, in which the stuffing material '(Whether pimiento or other ingredient) includes a setting agent'in thefo'rm of a small amount 'of agar agar, and which-stuifing material, at 'the lin substantially liquid or 'owable form, and sts to a jellyform in arelatively short time without draining therefrom, and when once set, will not re-liqueiy underany normal,-or even abnormal rise in atmospheric temperature. A1so,`the product is stable and furthermore the stuffed product does not need pasteurization, orsterilization "to preserve it, and ywill not `support fermentation under ordinary conditions. A still furtherfobject is the production of a `stuied fruit product, fsuch i as an olive stuffed with pimiento in which the 'stuffing material contains a single 'agentthat functions in combination 'with ithe main ibody ofthe material, to act as both .alstabilizerfand sclidier for the s'tufng.

Other objects and fadvantages will .appear in vthe annexed drawing and'specication.

The annexed, single Vdrawing is diagrammatic, and illustrates one mannerfcf handling theffruit, including 'thesteps of my invention.

The following description is specifically di- `rectedto the stufling of curedolives,'whether ripe or green, Aalthough many `of jthefadvantagesfof the inventionarepresentin the stuffing of'other `fruits, such, for example, ascherries, dates, or

drupes of diiierentkinds -and Ain most allcases where there is `a'suitable cavityin the fruit or food yproduct for :stuffing material.

The `most common stuing used forggreen or 4ripe olives Yis cured pimiento Whichcontains 'a lactic acid solution.

uct between catsupan'd" tomato juicegbutthicker than the latter and Tless `thick :than the '.iformer.

time of filling the olive, "is

pit therein,

miento product including thelactic acid solution with which itis saturated. 1 l

,Heretofore the ordinary method of .stuiing olives with pimiento has been to' stuieacholive by lhandwith ystrips or pieces of Y.the ,pimiento estimated tobelof asize to ll the cavityineach olive. )This imethod A.is slow, :expensive .and VVthe resultant olive v.so stuffed may @be :only partially iilled vor over stuffed,A sincewthe Icapacities of -the cavities .in the ,olives `are notithesame. Also, the .exposed .stuing .at one .orwboth uends 1of the .olivellack Vuniformity. in appearance, many being ragged and unsightly. *By my method, `these objections .and .disadvantages .are overcome, :and new andimproved .resultstare-Aalso accompli-shed, as will' hereinafter appear,and,each olive isneatly and substantiallycompletelylledwby -use of any suitable liquid dispenser .connectedtmany one of a, number of conventional ways with an.` olive conveyor for automaticfiillingof `each olive -at` a filling Astation, along Ithe `path .of ,travel-.of the olives. Automatic liquid dispensers. so connected with a conveyor forconveying Yspacedreceptacles to be "lled with the liquid "are'familiarto anyone skilled in Athe art,..hence` need not be' herein shown or described in 'detai1,;since such 'apparatus is not fclaimed'as part of` this invention. l l

In carrying out'my method, the 'olives to 'be pitted and'stuiedmay be'rst pitted in any .conventional mannerand later cooled, 'before filling, or the olives, or fruit, (see drawing) withthe `may be `positionedin one ofthe supfports 2, oi any suitableconveyori :for movement along a path of travel'in onedirection,"asindiytemperature orfithe olive so lpositioned maybe from-about 20? F. to about 40*F.,`but preferablyithejtemperature is from 20 Fjto aboutBOfF., or below the freezing point of Water.

the oliver is moved along. its

vthe olive moves toblow the discharge nozzle 8 that'issu'pplied withtheliquiblllke vstuifling from a source of supply 9. Apredetermined `attacked by ordinary bacteria, and in the the olive. Valve I or other suitable means may be employed to cause said discharge, and a source of heat, such as an electrical heating element Il may be associated with the source of supply 9 to keep the stung at a temperature above that at which the stuing Will jell, or solidify, which setting temperature is about 95 F. Preferably this temperature of the stuffing at the source of supply is from about 100 F. to about 120 F., so that it is'freely'flowable from the nozzle when the valve is opened.

Practically immediately after the stuffing has contacted the cold walls of the olive, which latter is at a temperature of about 30 F., it will solidify or jell, and the olive is ready to be packed, when moved to station E. In the event the volive at station D is at a temperature higher than 30 F., but still cold, the time for complete setting may require a number of seconds longer, and the same is true should the stuing be somewhat warmer than 120 F., but in no instance, within a reasonable range of variation from theV stated temperatures,VV does lthe stuii'ing Aleak or flow out of the 'slittedlower end of the olive. The initial contact between the stufling and the cold wallof cavity 6, results in the instantaneous formation of a solidified or jelled seal at the slitted end and the time required' for the entire mass of stuffing to fully ljell or solidify forsafe handling, is hardly longer than the time required to quickly remove the lled or stuffed olive from below'the nozzle 8 and to move the next olive Vinto position "for stufng. f

"Ifhe4 stuiiing I may use may be termed a substantially 100% pimientol product, except for the addition ofthe stabilizing and solidifying agent,

which vis agar agar in the ratio of from about 2% to about 4%, by Weight of the total product,

and except for the lactic acid solution as present in the commercially cured pimientos in the canned or packed form. This use of agar agar isL highly important,.since it is aV substantially tasteless and odorless pure organic substance; an emulsod Vhydrosol having a pronounced hydrophilic nature, and which liquees at 212 F., but do'es not cause'the stuffing to set to a gel after melted therein until the temperature of the stuffing falls to `about 95 F.` Also, agar agar isV not I melted state inthe presence of the lactic acid solution, as encountered whenmixed with the pimiento that is groundorcrushed toa readilyflowable state, it will ycause asetting of the mixture when the temperature of such mixture falls to about 95 F. This property of agar agar to effect a jelling of the stuffing in which the lactic acid solution is present is contrary tothe broad statements in chemical literature that agar agar, upon boiling iny an acid solution dissolves but will not ,reset to a substantially solidified material on cooling. In the case o f vinegar (acetic acid) ,and other acids and acid solutions of which I am aware, and in stuffing material including such acids and acid solutions, the agar agar will vnot reset, after being melted therein, but wllset where a lactic acid or lactic acid solution is in the stuffing.

From the foregoing it is seen that I do not require the addition of a -gummy substance, such as arrowroot flour, tragacanth, gum like, for stabilizing my stuffing material, which substances are undesirable, since readily attacked bybacteria, as is ordinary gelatin in its commercial forrns, but instead, the agar agar acts both as al stabilizer and as a solidfying agent, and is: 'not arabic or` the acid solution is ,be replaced or of the olive,

thereof; cooling lperature, with said heated .heat transfer, and thereby "tially immediate and complete setting of the stufiin'g in the fruit.

readily attacked by ordinary bacteria as used by While I have given as an example of a stuifing material, the use of cured pimientos, it is not the intention to limit this invention to the use of a pimiento product only, since I have found that a mixture of the pimiento and cheese and other food material and seasoning is satisfactory, provided the acid or acid solution therein, if present, is lactic acid in an amount not exceeding a 30% lactic acid solution. In pimientos the lactic well below this percentage.

It will be seen that the particular features of my method, apart from the use of a flowable and stabilizing agent in the stuffing material, is

Vthe cooling of the fruit, whether before or after pitting, to the point where the warm, flowable, stuffing material will congeal, gel, or solidify practically immediately upon the material filling the pit cavity, and in filling the cavity while the fruit iscold. Thus the time for stufng the olives and for packing the same for shipment is only limited bythe momentary time required for injecting the liquid stuffing into the olive and to the speed of an operator in placing the olives in the -Volive holders. Also, as already explained, the use of olives that are cooled, results in the stuffing material solidifying before any possible leakage from the Vpit cavity can occur.

'Ihecompleted product or stuffed olive, produced by my method is seen to be one in which the pit cavity is completely filled, since the stuffing. material is readily owable and reaches all s parts of the cavity, and the stuing will not fall temperature. The final product does not require pasteurization to preserve it, and the full iiavor of the pimiento or other stuffing material or combinationthereof is preserved, since small percentage of agar agar that is added is tasteless and odorless, and any possible reduction in the ,strength of the main body of the filling or stuff- :irig is more than compensated for by reason of the. greater amount of stuffing in the pit cavity due 'to its flowable characteristics when injected into said cavity, leaving no pockets or interstices and completely filling the cavity.

It might also be added that the agar agar in pimientostuffng material, as used by me, cannot substituted by ordinary commercial gelatin, since: (1) gelatin does not set quickly enough to prevent draining at the slitted end (2) gelatin will melt at ordinary room temperatures, and (3) gelatin is liquified by ordinary bacteria in unsterilized products.

Having described my invention, I claim:

^ 1. The method of stuffing a pitted fruit that comprises the steps of: preparing a heated, flowable, and edible stuffing that includes therein a setting agent adapted to set said stuffing at a predetermined lowering in the temperature the fruit to be stuffed to a temperature sufficiently lower than the temperature `of Vsaid stuffing to effect, by heat transfer, a

substantially immediate and complete setting of said stufng, in each fruit, when such fruit is filled therewith; and then filling the pitcavity in the fruit so cooled, to said latter temstufiing, to cause said effect said substan- `dissolving said stantially higher, than the. heat capacity and temperature of said fruit.

3. The method of stuiiing a pitted fruit that includes the steps of.; cooling the fruit to be stuffed to a temperature substantially below 95 F.; and then injecting into the pit-cavity of the fruit, so cooled, a flowable, edible stuing having a setting temperature substantially higher than the temperature of the cooled fruit.

4. Themethod of stuiing a pitted fruit that includes the steps of; cooling the fruit to be stuffed to about F. to about 30 F.; then lling the pit-cavity of the fruit so cooled with a heated, fiowable, edible stufng having a setting temperatureof about 95 F.

5. The method of stuiiing a pitted fruit that includes the steps of; cooling the fruit to be stuffed to about lling the pit-cavity of the :fruit so cooled with a flowable, edible stuiiing the temperature of which is about 100 F. to 120 F., and which stuffing is capable of setting at about 95 F.

6. The method of stung a pitted olive that includes the steps of; preparing a owable, edible stuing having melted agar agar therein in an amount capable of effecting a setting of the stuif-` ing at a predetermined setting temperature; injecting said stuffing at a temperature above said setting temperature into the pit-cavity in such olive, the temperature of such olive being sufficiently lower than said setting temperature to effect a rapid and complete lowering of the temperature of the stuffing injected into said pitcavity, to said setting temperature.

7. The method of stuiing a pitted olive that includes the steps of; reducing cured pimiento, together with its lactic acid curing solution, into a fiowable mass; adding agar agar to said mass;

agar agar in said mass and by the action of the lactic acid in said mass; then ejecting the mixture into the pit-cavity of an olive having a temperature below temperature of said mixture, for setting in said olive.

8. The method as 'defined in claim 7, in which the amount of agar agar so added is about 2% to about 4%, by weight, of'said mass, and in which the amount of lactic acid in the mass is about .25% to 1%, by weight, of said mass.

9. The method as dened in claim 7, in which the temperature of the olive at the time of the injection of the agar agar into said pit-cavity, is substantially lower than 95 F., and the setting temperature of said mixture being about 95 F.

10. The method of stuiiing a pitted olive that the freezing point of water; then d the setting lby heat includes the steps of; preparing a flowable, edible stung that includes pimiento and lactic acid and a single setting and stabilizing agent; the said agent :being in a suiicient amount and of a character to effect a setting of the stuling at about F.; injecting said stufng, at a tem perature above 95 F. into the pit-cavity of a pitted olive that is of a temperature below 95 F.

11. The method as defined in claim 10, in which said agent is agar agar and is about 2% to 4 .by weight of said stuffing.

12. A food product comprising a pitted, cured olive having the pit-cavity thereof lled with an edible stuiling that includes a mixture of pimiento and a solution of lactic acid, and agar agar in maintain said mixture an amount suiiicient to solidiiied in said perature.

13. A stuing material for cured, pitted olives substantially the entire amount of which material comprises a mixture of nely crushed pimiento fruit containing a lactic acid curing solution and agar agar and said mixture bearing the characteristics of being highly resistant to infestation and spoilage and of being relatively freely owable at a temperature substantially above atmospheric temperature and of solidifying at the latter temperature.

14. A stuffing material for cured, pitted olives comprising a mixture of relatively iinely crushed, cured pimiento fruit containing a lactic acid curing solution and agar agar; said cured pimiento fruit being the standard cured pimiento of commerce and said lactic acid curing solution being the standard pimiento curing solution of commerce in an amount substantially equal to that adapted to be held by the cured uncrushed pimiento fruit and saidagar agar being a relatively small 'amount of the material by Weight and said mixture bearing the characteristics of being highly resistant to infestation and spoilage and of being relatively freely flowable at a temperature substantially above atmospheric temperature and of solidifying at the latter temperature.

15. A stuing material for cured, pitted olives that comprises a pimiento curing lactic acid sopit cavity at atmospheric temlution, finely crushed cured pimiento fruit and agar agar; said lactic acid solution being in an amount adapted tovbe held by the said crushed pimiento fruit before crushing thereof and being substantially less than a 10% solution, and said agar agar being less than 10% by weight of said mixture, and substantially the entire remainder of the mixture being said crushed pimiento fruit and said mixture bearing the characteristics of being highly resistant to infestation and spoilage and of being relatively freely flowable at a tem- -perature substantially above atmospheric temperature and of solidifying at the latter temperature.

VERNON R. SMITH. 

